The Other Gandhi: 10 Things You Need to Know About Probable Presidential Pick Gopalkrishna Gandhi

He is a retired IAS officer and diplomat who joined as an Officer in 1968 and served in Tamil Nadu state till 1985.

As the time to pick Presidential candidates grows closer, the Opposition Party has its name set on a certain Gandhi. A Gandhi who held prestigious administrative political positions in the past. One who was criticised for his stance against the Nandigram violence in West Bengal in 2007, where 14 people lost their lives due to police aggression. He said the spiralling violence filled him with “cold horror.” The Hindustan Times reported that if the government asked the Opposition leaders, the Congress and the Left would most likely suggest Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s name for President.

So, if you haven’t heard much about the prospective Presidential candidate, here are 10 things you should know about Gopalkrishna Gandhi

1. Gopalkrishna Gandhi was born on April 22, 1945, and is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, son of Devdas Gandhi and Lakshmi Gandhi.

2. He completed his Masters in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.

He is a gifted multi-lingual scholar who translated Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy into Hindi, wrote a novel, Refuge, on Tamil plantation workers in Sri Lanka, and a life of Mughal scion Dara Shikoh in verse.

A lover of people, cats, food, music, books & films. In that order. Binge-watcher of The Office & several other shows. A storyteller on her journey to document extraordinary stories of ordinary people.